Embryo PCR

Hi,
I received many helpful mails after I posted the message about embryo PCR.
Thanks a lot! I am sorry that I won't be able to answer them one by one. I
am not sure that if I should write a summary here becasue it seems everyone
knows how but me. I decide to do so as "Redundancy is a virtue, sometimes."
What I learned from what I was told and what I did:
1. PCR from single embryos is just like PCR from single worms. No special
treatment is needed.
2. When best result is desired, two methods can be used to weaken the egg
shell. Physical manipulation and Chitinase treatment. ( Unfortuantely,
improper Chitinase concentration is harmful. )
General Ref: Williams et al., 1992 Genetics 131:609-624
Youyi Fang
Indiana University, Bloomington